What are the pros and cons of running lithium cobalt oxide (LCO) over LiPo?
I found some LCO batteries That are very similar to my LiPo packs as far as mAh and C. Just curious if the LCO have the same run time. And or lifespan. And well of course if they have a higher or lower rate of blowing up.
“LiPo” is now just a marketing term IMO, typically used for pouch LCO chemistry cells. They are the same.
The capacity and current ratings will be based more on the individual cells than any major chemistry effects. You can have high or low capacity and high or low current ratings.
LCO is the most volatile of the Li-ion chemistries but that does not mean it’s “dangerous”. LiPo’s and other cells using this chemistry just need to be treated with respect and never misused or mishandled. Especially fragile pouch cells.
Lithium Cobalt Oxide(LCO) in combination with advanced materials increase the power/performance. . Packs at a similar price typically use a blend of LCO and LicoMnNio2 which is a cheaper material. This lowers the cost of the packs but also decreases the performance. One way to tell if a pack doesn’t use 100% LCO is to check the weight. Packs with 100% LCO will typically have a higher weight